Re:An Urgent Letter to Big Fish Games

Thanks bfgVaiya. I appreciate your reply, but really do wish sometimes we could get some sort of a concrete answer that gives hope. I'm sure you have noticed how many are leaving the game, and how many have a foot out the door.

Thanks for adding that Apollo. I'm behind you at Level 32, but just used 5 unique stamps to craft one quest item. It is the lower levels that get you "hooked" on the game, and even if you purchase from the bank as I do, there is no way out in sight as you progress, other than as my friend calls it "never-ending ring around the rosie". How many HOS will I have to do to earn 15,000 to open that area? My math says over 300. Then I will open the next quest, which will probably require crafting costing 10k or more plus more and more stamps, and then the next and the next that go even higher in cost of coin and stamps and areas to open as you increase levels.

I am seriously questioning my decision to make monthly bank purchases, because so far, I really can't see how they are helping me. I believe in supporting the developers and publishers, however they in turn must support the players.

Re:An Urgent Letter to Big Fish Games

For the past few days, I've been asking friends for their opinion of the new update and reading the threads. The tournament's hotly debated. 4000 coins spread out over the community vs. more items added onto quests but no changes in HOS payouts. We didn't get the bulleted list of which bugs were fixed, like we sometimes do. I'm refusing to do the update until I hear of a better one. I'm not playing.

Re:An Urgent Letter to Big Fish Games

Thank you for the very accurate list of our plights with this game. Every day I grapple with the decision to keep playing or throw in the towel. And I don't know why they call it FTP, I don't know about anyone else but I pay $6.99 every month.
My personal complaints are that they ask for 3 of an item. They could ask for 3 separate items and we wouldn't be stuck with the mind numbing repetition. And we are always looking for keys, dragonflies, candy, etc.; sure they look different sometimes but they are still dragonflies, candy and keys. It just seems lazy. I hope someone listens to us.
bp

Re:An Urgent Letter to Big Fish Games

Okay I have to put my two cents worth in here.
After everything we have been through (the olders players *in the game not years*) have been crying,screaming, pulling our hair out, having nightmares in trying to get the MONEY MEN to let the DEV's do there job and stop pushing for more money because that is what this game seems to have become,, the all mighty buck and the H**** with what the players want, again they seem to forget about us BUT I say again NO PLAYERS NO MONEY,but they the MM seems to ignore that and push on for more,
This latest so called update is to me a joke, as someone said in an other post we did not even get a explaination as to what they did just threw the Tournament at us .
I know I am going to get jumped on here for saying that because alot of you LIKE it yeah okay maybe so but wait== wait untill it shows it's true colours and you end up forking over money to pay.
And I must say Congrats to the MM they needed a way to get us off there backs about fixing gliches and every thing else we have said is wrong with MC well they did that for all you see now on the forum is the TOURNI, MC and the players have taken a back seat ,my question is FOR HOW LONG???
A fed up players opinon here am I alone???????????

Re:An Urgent Letter to Big Fish Games

I can't believe I'm throwing my hat into this fray, but here goes. This is a business and these people are in it to make money. One way or the other. I would be willing to pay a reasonable amount of money to play this game because I have grown to love it and I really do still enjoy this forum (although the biting comments some make have given me pause). Having said that, in return I expect a decent game. It would be ridiculous to suggest the developers could incorporate everyone's ideas into the game. But there have been quite a few good ideas over the past few months and none have been incorporated.

All they seem to spend their time on is renaming objects we've all gotten used to finding. What's the point in that? And redesigning the graphics. Or adding quests that just keep asking for the same item over and over and over again. In my opinion, its all smoke and mirrors, busy work to make it look like they're adding something substantive to the game.

As for the tournament....how long do you think they will allow top players to amass that amount of diamonds? I believe there is method to their madness and, like teddy said, sooner or later the other shoe will drop.

Re:An Urgent Letter to Big Fish Games

You're not alone, teddy Already the cost to replay the tourney has gone up and up if you don't want to wait what's now 20 mins. I won't get sucked in because I don't like gambling for one thing and to me the tourney is a bit of a gimmick BUT there are many out there who will end up spending more than they can afford because they want to keep playing it all in the hope of doing well on the whim of the wheel.

Re:An Urgent Letter to Big Fish Games

eastendteddy, whitebutterfly, and fudgechi, you have all made excellent points that I 100% agree with. You are coming at it from different angles, but you are all correct. I cannot believe what I am hearing. We have had the Tournament for TWO days, and already a price increase?? Shame on you You reap what you sow.

Re:An Urgent Letter to Big Fish Games

whitebutterfly54 wrote:I really do still enjoy this forum (although the biting comments some make have given me pause).

Indeed and it does certainly spoil the atmosphere and camaraderie we all had

whitebutterfly54 wrote: All they seem to spend their time on is renaming objects we've all gotten used to finding. What's the point in that? And redesigning the graphics. Or adding quests that just keep asking for the same item over and over and over again. In my opinion, its all smoke and mirrors, busy work to make it look like they're adding something substantive to the game.

No point at all and a complete waste of their time. I can't see the logic in it at all.

whitebutterfly54 wrote: As for the tournament....how long do you think they will allow top players to amass that amount of diamonds? I believe there is method to their madness and, like teddy said, sooner or later the other shoe will drop.

Yes, the cost to play the tourney will go up and up once they believe players are hooked but we are NOT so stupid as to get sucked in and I sincerely hope that most players won't.

Re:An Urgent Letter to Big Fish Games

I can't believe that the counsel/advisory board/whatever is stubborn enough to keep this up. All they have to do is make the balance of money more fair and reduce the repeated visits to the same HOS. Those are the hot topics. That's ALL they'd have to give up in a Band-Aid fix to make the players come back en masse. More happy players, more money. These Money Men are like spoiled, stubborn children. Anyone know Supernanny's contact info?

Re:An Urgent Letter to Big Fish Games

I'd also like to direct the moderators to the thread Suggestons for the developers. Thorough, concise, well thought out. Read them. Sticky them.

As for raising rates on the tournaments after only one day. I'm just shaking my head. Either you didn't think your pricing structure out well enough before you released it, or when you found out the feature was popular you jumped right in to make more money. IMO, neither is acceptable.

Re:An Urgent Letter to Big Fish Games

Thanks for starting up this letter. I also agree. My hubby and I both play AK and are both considering deleting AK from our iPhones as it is getting frustrating to level up. When I use my 30 min specials I am using all my energy in about 10 mins and not replenishing coins or energy to replace it. Plus wasting the 20 mins of the special items since I have no energy points left to play the map scenes. This is just plain stupid. So I refuse to spend any more "real cash" (in game purchases) on Bolgins or crystals until this is addressed.

Re:An Urgent Letter to Big Fish Games

BooBoo9339 wrote:My personal complaints are that they ask for 3 of an item. They could ask for 3 separate items and we wouldn't be stuck with the mind numbing repetition. And we are always looking for keys, dragonflies, candy, etc.; sure they look different sometimes but they are still dragonflies, candy and keys. It just seems lazy. I hope someone listens to us.
bp

I agree with the annoying, repetitious need for 3 of the same items (all costing more each level). I'd rather find 20 various crafted items, than 3 boring.

Re:An Urgent Letter to Big Fish Games

Welcome Stoys Toys! Thank you for telling us about your experience with AK. I agree about the energy bar running out too quickly - one of the items in the letter we asked the developers to look at. I, also, play AK but only once a day & when the energy bar ends so does my game. I realise that & the developers need to make some money (note: some - not heaps) for the FTP games to continue but cutting short my enjoyment is not making me feel generous.

As for MC, I play it often (no energy bar) but I am a very slow player. What I am cranky at for is forcing me to update. I had not downloaded the update before the one with the tournament - I was waiting until the developers did some thing about the repetition (same items/ same place each quest). But to play I had to accept the newest update - not happy!

Re:An Urgent Letter to Big Fish Games

Just to let the dev.know, I am watching and waiting for happy players before I spend more heart, time or money on MC.I am not alone in this. Had hopes when I saw the "update" but I see those dashed by these forum posts.~sage
P.S. Thanks again to all the players for their comments.

Re:An Urgent Letter to Big Fish Games

Has there been any reply to this thread by either BF or Elephant games? I would guess not, because as someone correctly stated elsewhere in this thread, they make these games to MAKE MONEY. We all may play for a number of reasons, but I've realized recently that I spend way too much time hoping that I'll suddenly enjoy these games more if I stick with them long enough. Midnight Castle and Dark Manor are the first games that I've played where there was a minimum cost to buy, and then the potential to spend a ludicrous amount to advance. I drank the Koolaid with DM (have probably spent $30/40 on it--which is just insane) but refused to spend any extra $ on MC and have spent eons advancing. I'm now on level 35 and it just cost me 19,500 coins to open an area for which the reward is.....90 coins. I can't tell you how long it took me to do this. I will be deleting the game tonight....and I feel really relieved to do it. Congrats BF and Elephant......another satisfied customer!

Re:An Urgent Letter to Big Fish Games

"C'mon You Blokes,I Spent A 'Hundie' On This Game The Other Week ,So I Can Save My Self Some Greif, Now I Have NO Unique Stamps To Progress ,...Tighter Than A Sparrows Backside ...Talk About A 'Rort',.....Wankers!!

Re:An Urgent Letter to Big Fish Games

very well said Kiwiw mate and if I was to say how much in real money I have spent on MC I think some of the players would have a attack so I will stay but if I did say how much then you would all know why I am sooooooooooooooooooo P***** at nothing being done to fix the game and to keep the players and maybe JUST maybe we could get some players back???????????????????????/

Re:An Urgent Letter to Big Fish Games

Maybe if other players actually stated flat out how much money (REAL money) they are spending on MC or AK or DM, etc, BF & the devs would realize how much of that real money has already walked out the door, and how much is at stake, and pay a bit of attention to why this letter was written to begin with.